Dear Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota:
While living with my
amore mio (sweetheart) in her native Italy this winter, I had an
emergency medical situation. And spent eight days in an Italian public
hospital. In the city of Carbonia. In Sardinia, the second largest
island in the Mediterranean Sea. Some 120 miles off the Italian boot. A
one-hour flight from Rome. Believe me. Sardinia is a spectacular and
idyllic place. With over 1,200 miles of blended smooth and rugged
coastline, tranquil rural countryside dotted by quaint villages. With a
few larger, more cosmopolitan cities mixed in.
Anyway, to get
down to business. I was treated for a heart condition. Requiring
angioplasty and other medical procedures. For which copies of attached
documents will attest. Fortunately, I came out of all of this. Very much
alive. The Italian cardiologists (one was Spanish) performed an
angiogram, a stress test, an ultrasound exam of my heart. Plus the
angioplasty, which included ballooning of an artery already containing
two stents. I received round-the-clock care in the hospital (Jan. 2 to
Jan. 9) from doctors, nurses and other staff. Treated, essentially, in
the same manner that any Italian citizen would have been treated.
Didn't matter that I was a foreigner. And had no absolute proof that I
would be able to pay the bill. After all, my life was in peril. And
that's all that mattered.
Upon returning to the U.S., I was told
by my American doctors that had I received the same kind of medical and
hospital care in America, the cost would have likely run into the six
figures.
Now for the incredible news. My total (bottom-line) bill
in Italy was 5,374 euros, or $6,274 in U.S. dollars. Attached
documents, with these figures circled, reflect the actual bill and
personal banking transactions that allowed me to raise funds to pay the
bill. Yes, I know my Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance company wants an
itemized bill. With a specific cost tied to each procedure. But that's
not the way the Italians operate and conduct business. They provide only
a bottom-line bill. Without itemization. The Italian bureaucrats tell
me they calculate only an estimate of what it cost to save my life.
Whether I be an Italian or an American or a penniless refugee. Makes
sense. In the humane Italian way. Maybe not in an American way. In the
end, the Italians balance their health and hospital care budgets.
Without breaking down the fine details. And without the middle man
insurance companies. Everyone in Italy is covered. By sort of a
socialized medicine. A neat way to go. No complaints on my part. Because
it's proving to be beneficial. For me. And for my insurance company.
Think
about it. If I had been billed for the actual cost for the angioplasty
and other procedures, like happens in America, the amount for everything
would have far exceeded $6,274. So, who am I to complain? I and my
insurance company have been given a break. An almost unbelievable
bargain.
Now, I am asking to be reimbursed. For the full amount
of the $6,274 bottom-line bill. Under the provisions of my Blue
Cross/Blue Shield insurance coverage. I am submitting detailed printed
records of the hospital and medical care received.
If you need
additional information, please contact me. My address is 22652 Hayward
Avenue North, Forest Lake, Minnesota 55025-8222; or
jbbroede@hotmail.com; or telephone 651-464-3978. I have also attached a
business card. I am a writer. With a daily blog. On the Internet. Plug
into the blog. You will read the details of my experience in Italy and
with the Italian and American medical bureaucracies. Let's hope for a
happy ending. It will be duly reported.
Let me add. The Italians
have been very accommodating. But please understand, their ways are
different than the American ways. As you can see. From the bill itself.
Seems to me that it was a blessing -- medically and economically -- that
my medical emergency occurred in Italy. And not in America. Please
consider, too, that I'd like to show that it was all a blessing for Blue
Cross/Blue Shield, too. Especially if I can demonstrate that my beloved
insurance provided me with comfort and full reimbursement. That would be
a sign that the system works.
Best wishes to everyone at Blue Cross/Blue Shield,
Jim Broede
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